School board eyes policy to limit what employees can make public

The Wayne County School Board will consider several amendments to the district’s existing conflict of interest policy during this evening’s board meeting, including language that would prohibit WCPS employees from using information “learned in the employee’s role as an employee and which has not been made public,” to turn a profit, or help others do so.

In other words, publishing information — or leaking information to the media — would, should the amendments gain the board’s approval, constitute a breach of contract.

Here is the suggested change:

The presentation to the board comes less than a month after the New Old North published a story about several Goldsboro High School teachers filing formal complaints against first-year principal Christopher D. Horne — alleging he created a hostile work environment when he mandated what they characterized as a discriminatory assignment on “white privilege.”

Several teachers spoke to this publication about the assignment, which required nearly 20 staff members, six of them white, to document instances of white privilege they observed inside the school, report those observations in front of the group, and write a “cultural autobiography.”

District officials have since dismissed the complaints, citing a lack of evidence to substantiate the claims. It is unclear whether or not the teachers will appeal the decision, but should they decide to do so, the investigation would be in the hands of Superintendent Dr. Michael Dunsmore and, if they are still not satisfied, the board.

The amended policy would also broaden the scope of the superintendent’s authority over what work district employees can perform outside of their WCPS roles, as the following language was added: